How to Choose a Bankruptcy Attorney

Most people find out the hard way how easy it is to fall into dept. You have probably said to yourself “Oh what the hey, I deserve to splurge on myself from time to time,” to relieve your guilty mind about buying something you really don’t need and pay for more than you can afford. You’re not alone when it comes to over spending. Thousands of good families get into dept every year, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down. If it gets to the point of bankruptcy, you will likely need to seek the help of a bankruptcy attorney.

Here are some helpful suggestions on how to choose the right attorney for you:

1. The first thing you need to do is call your local bar association. They will help you with a list of bankruptcy attorneys in your area. While the bar cannot specifically tell you who to hire, they will provide you with the phone numbers of the bankruptcy attorneys that can help you with your specific needs. Bankruptcy is a specialized area of the law, this is why you must hire an attorney who is trained in this area of expertise. Make sure the attorney your hire is up on all the new tax laws. New laws are added and taken away every year it seems. Depending on what type of bankruptcy case you will be filing — consumer or personal, commercial or business will depend on what type of lawyer you actually will want to retain. There are also lawyers who specialize in agricultural bankruptcies.

2. Next, talk with a couple of your friends and acquaintances. When looking for a bankruptcy attorney, word of mouth is a good way to weed out the good and bad, however, in the end, this is your bankruptcy and only you really know what you need. Chances are very good that you know a friend, family member or colleague who has had to go through a bankruptcy. Find out what that person or those persons have to say about the lawyer or lawyers that they have used for their own bankruptcy cases.

3. An Internet search about the specific lawyers that deal in bankruptcy laws is your best bet starting out. Oftentimes when you find a good attorney search website, you can give your zip code of your area and the site will give you attorneys that deal in bankruptcies in your specific area. You have on your list of potential attorneys to assist you in your own bankruptcy case. By reviewing this information, you will be able to develop a clearer picture about the business and background of particular bankruptcy lawyers that you are considering employing.

4. You should have a list of attorneys by this time and now your ready to call a few attorneys and meet them. At least have a phone interview with a couple attorneys, doing this will scratch a couple off your list and narrow it down more. This will leave you with the runners up that you can take the time to actually meet face to face.

5. The final choice in how to find and choose a bankruptcy attorney involves making the decision to go with a particular lawyer. At this point in time, you will want your new lawyer to provide you with a specific contract that lays out what your lawyer will do for you, what services he or she will provide. In addition, you will want to make certain that the lawyer specifically lays out what he or she will be charging you in the way of fees and how those fees will be paid by you. In most cases, attorney fees that are given to you by your attorney will have to be approved through the bankruptcy court, so you will not have to pay your attorney fees up front.

Hopefully these steps will help you find what you need to get some order in your life back. These are just suggestions and are here to help those who need and want help. As a result, you may have the best possible chance to truly get your life back, hopefully this will be a lesson learned and if you are smart, you will never have to be in this situation ever again.

12 thoughts on “How to Choose a Bankruptcy Attorney”

I’m glad I came across your article about hiring a bankruptcy attorney. I like that you talked about how a bankruptcy attorney protects your interests and to help you avoid costly mistakes. It’s good to also know that a bankruptcy attorney will help you to determine if bankruptcy is the right solution for your debt problem. My aunt is on the verge of filing bankruptcy. I want to help and make sure that she will do the right decision. I will make sure to find a lawyer that can help her with the situation.

A friend of mine was planning to file bankruptcy, but she doesn’t know how or where to start. It’s good that I found your article because it helped me learn the things that we need to consider in hiring one. Experience means a lot, that’s why I like your idea of calling the local bar and get the number of bankruptcy attorneys that are experienced in the field. Thanks for the tips. I’ll remember them!

I agree that using the internet to search for a bankruptcy lawyer would be really helpful. Finding out about their education online would also e helpful. It may even be a good idea to look at what the state bar has to say about a lawyer.

You mentioned talking to your friends and acquaintances when choosing a bankruptcy lawyer as they may be able to recommend someone who is reliable and trustworthy. It’s possible that a member of your family has also worked on a similar case with someone previously. One other way is to search online for some firms and check for reviews and positive feedback. These should help you eventually decide which lawyer is the right one for you. Thanks.

I like how you say that you would want to consider the area that a bankruptcy attorney practices in. Because there are different laws in different states finding someone who is local would be ideal. My sister is considering filing for bankruptcy, so she’ll have to find a local lawyer to help.

A friend of mine was planning to file for bankruptcy after her previous business partner suddenly disappeared without a trace. She was asking me last night to help her out, and the best thing I thought of doing was to look for a bankruptcy attorney. Your article was amazing because I learned that I can actually contact the local bar and ask them for the list and contact information of available bankruptcy attorneys. That will be a lot helpful in my search. Thanks!

I like that you talked about how you can call the potential attorneys that you’re interested in for a phone interview so you can easily narrow down your search and be able to determine the best lawyers that you can deal with. My sister is interested in filing bankruptcy. It’s important for her to make sure that she’ll be able to find the best lawyer that can help her. I will make sure to share your blog with my sister so she can get some tips.

I totally agree that you can ask your network of friends and acquaintances to recommend a good bankruptcy lawyer that they may have worked with before to make sure that you’ll get an honest review about the lawyer. My sister is interested to file bankruptcy because of all the financial hardships that she has to face. It’s important for her to find someone that has been able to help his past clients smoothly with the process. I will make sure to share your blog with my sister so she can get some tips.

I couldn’t agree more with what you said about how the word of mouth is a good way to find a bankruptcy lawyer that can help you with your needs. Additionally, I also like that you mentioned how you can consider the recommendations of your friends and acquaintances who have had to go through a bankruptcy for a recommendation of a good bankruptcy lawyer. My father is looking to file bankruptcy, and it’s important for him to make sure that he will be guided by a reputable bankruptcy lawyer. It’s essential for him to only deal with a lawyer that the people he knows trust to make sure that he will also be getting the best service. I will make sure to share your blog with him so he can get some tips.

I didn’t know that we should make sure the attorney we hire is up on all the new tax laws. My brother has a lot of debt and is planning to declare bankruptcy to pay it all off. My dad suggested having a bankruptcy lawyer and shared this article with him.

What really got my attention was how you said that by utilizing the internet, you can find bankruptcy attorneys and get a clearer picture of their background. This is a useful information for my sister who’s looking to find a bankruptcy attorney for herself. It’s necessary for her to find a professional who has the background that can assure her of a great service. Thanks for sharing your tips!

Your statement about how there can be a chance that you have a friend, family member, or colleague that had had to go through bankruptcy caught my attention. At the moment, I’m looking to hire a bankruptcy attorney for myself. It’s highly important for me to choose a professional that has good reviews from the people I know because this can give me the confidence that I will also get the best possible service from them. Thanks for sharing all your tips.

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